Recognition
by fhorner49
Summary: When Dick is abducted from school, his captors find out more about him than he would like. The Team gets involved and of course, The Batman isn't too keen on his son being held either. Dick fights to maintain himself while in this unfortunate circumstance. (Rated T for now)- Robin/Dick focus
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, so this is my first work of fanfiction and I really hope that I can do Young Justice justice. I am a freshmen in college this year and will be writing when I have time to de-stress. Opinions are very much appreciated and if this short tester chapter gets a decent response, I promise much lengthier entries in the future. Thanks for reading!**

The corridor seemed more narrow than usual. Not because of its length, persay, but the emptiness of the academy contributed to the claustrophobic aura in the expanse of hallway before Dick.

He had stayed late after class today to finish up a self-designed lab that would be sure to put most high schoolers to shame. As he trekked to his locker, the narrowness of the corridor put Dick on edge. Generally he was at ease in the desolation, but something was different today. Something in the air wedged its way into his subconscious, trying to warn, trying to save. Unfortunately, he was too distracted to connect with the infinitesimal warning and missed the threat.

He placed the books non-essential for homework in the back of his locker, reaching out and tugging out the strange material blocking the books from lying flat in the back. He couldn't believe how forgetful he had been- the Robin suit he had soiled last week while on patrol near the school was still there, waiting to be washed. It had crusted over where the mud had splashed all over Robin's front. He had meant to take it to the mansion earlier in the school week, after hastily changing out of it into the extra school uniform he kept in his locker when he changed there last Saturday. He placed the suit in his plain backpack where the books had just previously resided and begin to close the locker door. That's when a sudden sound to his right alerted the Robin in Dick.

*BANG*

Just like that, the locker door was slammed, leaving a stunned Dick staring into the face of a masked man.

*BANG*

Another sound perked Dick's ears up as they tried to quickly pinpoint its location, but it was too late. The damage was done. Dick had been hit with the taser before his ears had even registered that there was a buzzing sound. The bang he heard was not the taser, he now realized. It was the sound of his small frame hitting the floor with all the force dead weight could produce. He was hit with so much force that his senses failed him before they even had the chance.

Dick's last fleeting thought before his remaining senses decided to fail him too was mustered up with all the eloquence he could evoke at that moment:

"Crap".

He must of spoken it aloud because his abductors began chuckling as they started there preparations for transporting him. They grabbed him by his ankles and wrists and two men carted him off towards the double doors at the end of the stretch of hallway. The other two men began walking out after then, but not before one saw the bag out of the corner of his eye. He picked up the plain backpack and sauntered off with his co-workers.


	2. Revelations

**So calculus is kicking my butt and midterms are coming up, so updates may be a bit fewer now, but I will try to make them lengthy. I just smushed together the second and third chapters because they seemed too short to justify individual chapters. Next update should be tomorrow or the day after. As always, please leave reviews and let me know how I'm doing!**

The boy began shifting around in his corner slightly. He had not fully woken up yet and was in that wonderful state of awareness mixed with comfort before getting up in the morning.

But wait.

The awareness was not mixed with comfort this morning, no, there was definitely a dis on this comfort.

The boy tried to piece together bits from the night before. Everything was hazy, unfocused, riddled with pain-

_ He was hauled through the corridor and out to the side parking lot, full of shadows from the early sunset. One of the men with his hands not full of sidekick popped open the trunk to the blatantly obvious pedo van. The men who carried Dick swung him back to get some momentum before throwing him unceremoniously into the still-dark interior of the van. They hopped in next to him, and the other two men jogged around to the front and started the van, wanting to get out of dodge before any suspicious activity was noticed. The engine roared on as the back doors to the van were slammed shut in-sync. The van lurched away and Dick was officially off of campus. Out of his realm of safety. Into a realm of darkness and the needle punctured his inner left elbow._

Dick came to complete awareness with a start.

His eyes shot open and he forgot everything about being a hero.

He was afraid.

He blinked now, trying to adjust to the mellow lighting encompassing him in this strange unfamiliar room. Every inch of this world was strange and frightening, albeit small and manageable. Dick righted himself, not failing to notice the constriction on both his wrists and ankles.

"Dammnit"- he thought internally. He was bound, escape would be no cake walk. Escape! That's what he needed to think about. He decided to study the foreign room, because it was so small perhaps he could be in control here.

The mellow lighting appeared to be coming from some out-of-date luminescent light fixtures secured to the ceiling above. The room was not as dingy as one would expect from a concrete prison. It was about the size of a cramped dorm room, though without the feeling of comfort and home. The concrete was not just on the floor but encompassed the entire area of the box. There were strange iron rings secured throughout the room at various points. There seemed to be no pattern to them, just rings secured at varying heights, with some even bolted to the floor.

Dick's eyes wandered over the floor looking at the half a dozen or so rings until he came across the one that he was connected. His ankle bindings had been secured to one of the floor, and the wire consistency of the binding would not allow it to break apart when rubbed against the ring. Instead a slick substance formed that Dick quickly recognized as his blood.

"Well crap" he thought as he realized the first thing he had managed to do while plotting an escape was to injure himself further.

He decided to exam himself and figure out why he was out cold for long enough to be secured in this place. His bound hands roamed around his body, gingerly searching for any more injuries, minor or serious. The crackled guck on his forehead he identified as dried blood, and he was sure it was from his initial dead-weight fall from being tased. The other injury, a small bruise surrounding an even smaller pricked section of skin on his inside elbow held more mystique for him. He had had his blood drawn before and new what the impaled skin could look like if the vein was knicked improperly. Perhaps the small amount of drugs still coursing through his system slowed down his neural processes and prevented the connection between his now-evident bruise and the memory of needle penetrations from forming. How alarmingly ironic.

Just as he was about to take another look around, a medium-sized door in the concrete opened up and revealed a large man, lumbering towards Dick.

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJ**

Back at the mansion, Bruce was beginning to notice Richard's absence. He was aware of the need for Dick to stay late at school to finish up some advanced lab he had been working on, but it was unlike him to not notify his adoptive father of his whereabouts after such a long time. The older man started compulsively checking his phone every few minutes, expecting a response to his many worried sent texts. When no such response was heard and it had become pitch black outside, Bruce hopped into one of his many extravagant cars and rushed towards Gotham Academy.

Bruce wandered down the labyrinth of hallways inside the private school, and stopped at the locker he remembered Dick showing him before. The sight that greeted him jarred the Batman from his usual serious stance.

The locker was left open, with books neatly stacked in the back. All the normal things in lockers, such as pictures of his friends (Wally mostly) and a schedule with due dates for assignments were all in there. The only thing that was missing was any clue to Dick's whereabouts, unless you counted the fact that the door was left ajar, which Bruce did.

This discovery led him to scour the rest of the area in search of more clues. That's when he noticed the small puddle of coagulated blood on the floor to the right of the locker. It wasn't large enough by any means to create fear of danger from a gaping injury, but it was enough to give the Batman a clue as to what had happened to his son.

Richard was gone, and foul play was sure to be the cause.

Bruce quickly rushed back to the Batcave and donned his cowl. He contacted Watchtower and reported the news of Robin's disappearance.

With regret in his voice he also informed the Leaguers that Robin was taken while in his civilian identity and the only way the League could intervene without suspicion of a more intimate connection besides just justice for a kidnapped boy was if the disappearance got a lot of publicity. Bruce would be forced to go through normal police channels in the public eye and could only do so much as Batman behind the scenes.

Superman, after hearing about his adoptive nephew's disappearance, decided that the Young Justice team deserved to know what happened to their second-in-command. He and Batman zeta-ed into the Mountain to inform an unsuspecting team.

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

The boy tried to sit up taller, getting frustrated at the length of his bindings when he found he did not have enough slack to stand. His ankles were very firmly secured to the iron post in the ground, and maneuvering around too much would not work very well.

The boy set his eyes on the burly man who just entered the concrete room. He stood at least six feet tall, with very toned muscles displayed obviously through his tight, sweat-stained wife-beater shirt. Dick could not tell whether this man was one of the original four who took him or an entirely new man to him. He still had a mask on, which must have been a good sign, right?

Some of Dick's questioned got answered, however, after the man walked in, closed the door, and began to speak:

"Hello there Grayson" he said. "I knew you would be a fun one the moment I saw your face in that school. The look in those eyes when you got tased were almost too good to be true."

At this point Dick attempted to say something, to stand up for himself while in this hopelessly humiliating position. All that came out, however, was mindless gargling noises. His body was still too numb from the drug to form coherent sentences. The masked man, however, seemed to be able to guess what Dick was getting at and responded:

"What do I want with you you might be asking yourself…. Well, let's just say that my plans got interrupted prematurely when I peered into that bag you carry with you… but let's not get to that yet. I took you simply because you are an ungrateful rich little boy, and your daddy can make me a very grateful, rich large man."

As the man finished telling Dick why he was taken so unfairly, the remaining three men entered the room with a tripod and camera, looking almost comically unhappy. They set up the camera and equipment without uttering a word, with their leader just glaring at Dick, as if trying to make him appear more afraid. When Dick refused to give in to such petty scare tactics, the leader whispered something to his men.

They all turned to face Dick head-on and began relaying details of various stunts that got them into prison, and the things that they could do to Dick if he went out of line even once. Eventually, this journey into the terrors of what the men had done in the past seemed to be enough for the leader, who called his men off of the verbal assault as he began unconsciously rubbing his scabbed-over knuckles.

He crossed the two feet between himself and a helpless Dick in one bound, bent down low, and delivered a gnarly punch right into the small boy's jaw without warning. He bent down even lower towards the now belly-down boy and whispered something into his ear so quietly that no one else in the room could make out what was said. Whatever it was, however, seemed to manage to evoke the response in the boy that the masked man had been wanting all along.

He sauntered back towards the camera, having his men stand beside him as a visual reminder to Dick of how helpless the situation he was in really was. The man sighed deeply, straightened his mask, and hit play.

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJYJYJYJ**

"We have you all here to get you up-to-date about Robin's circumstances" Superman said with an uncharacteristically solemn tone.

"Wait, why is Rob not here with you guys?" blurted out Wally, while getting affirming nods from the other members of YJ as they wondered the exact same thing.

The sound of the television on a few feet behind the meeting of superheroes was the only noise in the otherwise disconcertingly quiet moment following Wally's outburst. Batman spoke up next:

"It came to my attention a few hours ago that Robin has been taken from his school this afternoon."

The tension became more palpable as no one knew what to say after that chunk of new information.

"He was taken while in his civilian identity so none of you can intervene to try to help him. And no, he cannot just break out like he would as Robin, that would raise too much suspicion and Di-Robin already knows how dangerous that could be."

The tension present before broke and all the teens began questioning Batman all at once.

"But he is our friend and we must do everythi-"

"He's just a kid, it's not fair to expect him to suffer through this without protecti-"

"I don't care what you say, I am going to-"

All of the thoughts got interrupted at once as the television behind the teens (now progressively inching closer to the older Leaguers) seemed to ramp up in volume.

The screen turned to static as all members of the quickly-turning hostile meeting swiveled around to face it.

A masked person appeared on screen and uttered a few chilling words to his now-captive television audience-

"I have the boy Richard Grayson, and if you want him to return home alive, I need to have the Batman to come to me, unarmed. We are going to have a nice little chat. If he doesn't comply with my demands by tomorrow night, little Richard here is going to pay the price."

The screen zoomed in on an object behind the man in the mask. The still-recognizable form of a small, terrified boy stood out on screen, his eyes hazy but still alert enough to convey fear and confusion.

The screen cut off quickly and re-focused on the older man.

"More instructions will be sent shortly- We'll make sure you know this boy is still alive and well until Batman comes. Well, he will be alive at least."

The entire Team stood frozen at the video they just saw and at the few words that had been spoken. No one looked more shocked, incredibly, than Batman himself.

His mind swum with thoughts about why his superhero persona was called out specifically by the abductors. This could mean many things, but the two most likely were not good. The first option was that they were thugs that he had dealt with as Batman before and were just out for revenge. Richard could be their means for getting publicity and thus a confrontation with the Dark Knight himself. The second seemed both more likely and less plausible. They had somehow discovered that Richard was also Robin.

The thing that makes this theory less likely in his mind, however, is the fact that Richard looked genuinely afraid- a look that Robin would never show unless alone or seriously threatened. Batman then dwelled on Robin's appearance in the video. He was secured to the floor somehow, that was for sure. The blood caked down the side of his face and blossoming bruise on his jaw were not Bruce's main worry however. The hazed over look in his son's eyes scared Bruce the most. It was fairly obvious that he had been drugged in some way, and that meant a not fully aware superhero. That meant that Robin could not have fought as well as normal. And it was even worse because Robin was Richard now, and a drugged Richard at that.

Everything seemed to be against the poor boy tonight, and Batman didn't even have time to dwell on what course of action to take before he was berated by members of the League close to Dick who had heard of the local television takeover. He kept receiving call after call and eventually shut off his communicator to get some peace so he could think.

The door to Bruce's office in the Mountain burst open seemingly moments after he went in to be by himself and turned off his communicator. Wally, followed by the rest of the worried team, filed in with Superman close behind.

"What the heck was that about!?" Exclaimed Artemis. "I know that boy and had no idea he was so close to you! Why would those thugs want you to come to them unless you have a connection with that kid?! What are you not telling us, is that Robin?"

"That looked and awful lot like him and it cannot be coincidence that they were abducted on the same night" said M'gann with worry plastered all over her face.

Wally just stood there slightly vibrating in place with his head down, already knowing the answer.

"Was that boy Robin?" Kaldur spoke with hesitant conviction, determined to get an answer from Batman.

Batman replied after a long sigh "Yes. Richard Grayson is my ward and it was in this civilian identity that Robin was kidnapped this afternoon. We are a wealthy family and Richard has been a target for abduction more times than I care to remember. I am worried that this time, though, these thugs somehow figured out his secret identity after they took Dick."

"Wow." Artemis breathed out. "All this time and I never made the connection between the Grayson kid and Robin… I feel so dumb. I should have been nicer to him and not just shrugged the kid off because I did not know him.."

"Well stop talking about Dick like we're never gonna see him again!" Exclaimed Wally, finally breaking his uncharacteristic silence. "We are going to find him and everything is going to be okay. This is Robin we're talking about. Most experienced though he is the youngest. Able to get himself out of any tight situations without help. He will be fine. He can handle it! I know he can!"

Batman sadly followed up Wally's increasingly desperate rant. "Actually, I am concerned about Dick's capacity for resistance at this point. He seemed to be secured to the floor incredibly effectively. And Richard never has that look on his face. He was taught to always maintain his composure, no matter how dire the circumstances. Whatever happened to him or was said to him since he was taken must have been pretty extreme to produce such a reaction."

The team let this soak in (Superman had since left to talk with the Leaguers and their concerns about people realizing the connection between Bruce Wayne and Batman). Their expressions got increasingly grim as they thought about the implications Robin's terrified state made.

Batman went on to say "I also fear that Dick has been drugged. His eyes appeared very hazy, and this may also have contributed to the feared look on his face. He may not be fully in control and lucid enough to remember all of his training. Besides, if he does not know that they have caught on to his identity, he will act like any normal 13 year-old billionaire's son would in a situation like this. Weak and compliant."

"But Robin would never back down! He would never let some dumb thugs control him, no matter how well he is tied up or how many drugs they pump into him!" Megann burst out, unable to control her disbelief.

Wally nodded along with both Artemis and Conner. Kaldur looked less satisfied with Megann's train of thought. "I believe that Batman is right about Rob-Richard's chances here. He must remain behaving like a normal 13 year-old would under the influence of narcotics, at least until he knows that they have found out his secret identity."

Batman nodded grimly and said simply "Richard's only hope now is for the Batman to come save him, before he gets harmed too badly. I think they will continue harming him as means of an incentive for Batman to come meet them."

Bruce looked out from under his cowl and said seriously "While Bruce must go through the proper channels to find his ward, I am going to meet these thugs and save my son."

It was settled, Batman would depart after the next video was sent and go find Dick, hopefully before he became broken irreparably.

**YJ**

Dick just heard the door slam as the men with the camera left his room when he began to realize the horrible mistake he had made at the school earlier that day. He had put his Robin suit in his schoolbag. They must have grabbed it after he was knocked unconscious. They knew. That's why they asked for Batman. They knew he was Robin, and there was no way in hell he was going to be allowed to live now.


	3. Reckoning

Reckoning

**Hey guys! So I am in the midst of midterms right now, but I am continuing to work on this story. I want to thank everyone who reviewed because they seriously make my day. **** Also, I am wondering if any fans of the story would like to do some cover art for it? So here it is, please read and review!**

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Dick knew that the charade was up. He should have known the minute he had been confronted in front of his open locker. He should have known when he got mud all over his uniform the week before. He should have known better than to be so careless. Should have known not to leave the uniform in a public place.

Of course, he could not have possibly known that he would be taken that night while he had the suit on his person, but that was no excuse. He was always taught that being careless was inviting danger. And he had done it. He invited danger to himself the second he placed that suit in that locker. He didn't have too much time to dwell, however, before the concrete door once again slammed open, this time sans video camera but very much with the masked man from before.

The man seemed to grow a few feet in Dick's eyes since the last time he saw him. This was most probably due to the fact that, though Dick's bindings were secured in the same fashion that they had been the entire past day, he felt weaker. He was thirsty, unbelievably thirsty for only being gone one day. He felt hungry, though that was nowhere near as bad as the thirst. Being stuck laying on your side with nothing to think about besides your desires and imminent doom could make a strong man thirsty very quickly. Dick also felt weak from the verbal abuse he had received before the dreaded first video was shot. The verbal assault from the lesser henchmen meant nothing to Dick, but the few words from this main man were enough to send Dick's world spinning out of focus as he tried and failed to reign in his fear. All these, combined with the fact that the young boy was still coming out of the fog of a second forcibly-administered drug he couldn't name, caused the boy's fear of this man to quadruple in stature.

After the camera stopped rolling and Dick was left alone with his thoughts, he had been interrupted and the drug administered. That was eight hours ago. Dick had now been gone for approximately 20 hours. It was the middle of the afternoon, not that Dick had any idea of that in his small hell-hole. Dick passed out almost immediately after the needle pierced his soft, still-bruised skin. He had been awake for about an hour now before the man decided to return and continue his terrorization of the now-fragile vigilante.

Now, Dick was alone with this man. And unable to defend himself. This terrifying guy stalked closer to Dick, shutting the door behind him as he moved. As the door closed, the light pouring out of it rescinded and the small room was left with only the residual light from the old fixtures. The shadows on the man made him look more angular with contrast. The man bent down and released Dick from the iron ring on the floor.

The relief Dick felt from this small act, however, was short lived. The angular man re-secured Dick's wrists to a circle about a foot higher than his head would be if he were capable of standing up by himself. Because of his current predicament, however (the numbing drugs still coursing through his veins), Dick was unable to stand by himself and instead hung slack from the ring. The extra stress on his forearms was insanely uncomfortable, but there was no way he could force his body to right itself.

The man, now apparently satisfied with how he had Dick restrained, began his monologue:

"I was less than thrilled when I found out that the guys were picking you as our next target" he began and he slowly paced in front of the incapacitated boy. "You see, usually we are just kidnappers of opportunity. But this, this was not a kidnapping, it was an abduction. Something that actually required effort and planning. Not really my style. I go for the "easy kill" so to speak. But when I saw you, I figured I could change my mind and draw it out a little longer than usual."

He was now mere inches from Dick, and placed his hand on the small boy's jawline. He began to move his hand along the bone when Dick yelled out "Get the hell away from me bastard!" He spit a little as he said this, much to the man's dismay. He swiftly backhanded Dick, which was to be expected from such an outburst, but then he also pulled something from his pocket.

It was an old rag of some sort, which Dick identified as smelling of motor oil and smoke as the man uncaringly shoved it into his mouth and secured it with some rope he also carried on his person. "Now that's better, isn't it?" he mumbled to himself in admiration of his work. It was at this moment that Dick noticed his breath- smokey like the rag, but with a hint of sewer that a lack of regular flossing can easily do to a person. Not exactly a pleasant experience when you had to breathe through your nose. Dick was once again broken from his reverie when the man coughed quite obnoxiously, probably seeing the distant look on his captive's face.

"We have some serious things to discuss, little man. Like what was in that nice bag of yours you carry to school."

Dick gulped audibly, knowing exactly what the man was obviously alluding to.

"Now we can do this either the easy or the hard way, but judging from that look on your face, you know exactly what I'm talking about and my suspicions are already confirmed. Which means, most likely, that you will be much harder to break"- he flipped out an impressive looking switchblade from his pocket- "than my usual clientele. Should we test that theory, or are you going to be a Good. Little. Bird for me?"

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJYJYJYJYJYJJYJY JYJYJYYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Back at Watchtower, the Young Justice team had just assembled after gathering some of their things from the mountain. They would be staying in Watchtower until Robin was rescued. It would also be easier to contact them if word of Robin's location was released on the television. They would be there for their youngest member, even if the older members of the League preferred to keep the other children out of it.

Bruce had just returned, now no longer wearing his cowl around the kids. They knew his identity soon after Robin's had been revealed. It would be easier for Bruce to work without the constricting headgear anyways. He had to be at his best for his son. Bruce had just returned from the manor after informing Alfred of the news. He already heard, of course, since the video had been broadcast on televisions all throughout the area. He had been on high alert for suspicious activity after Bruce had gone to the school to check on Richard. Alfred began his attempt to trace the video feed as it was playing, but now, eight hours after and his attempts had been futile. Alfred cares for the boy more than most would guess, and he was about as adamant as Batman to get his bird back, especially after the abductor alluded to knowing his real identity.

All of Alfred's grandfatherly caring aside, he was not too keen on Bruce actually submitting to the abductor's requests. He already lost one family member yesterday, and he was not going to lose another one. Alfred knew that if the abductors did in fact know Dick's secret identity, then there was no way they were just going to invite Batman over to rescue him. It was so obviously a trap that it wasn't funny. They were using Robin to get to Batman, even if the media had not yet made the connection. Bruce would not listen to Alfred's warnings, however, and insisted that he go find Dick as soon as the next video was released.

So now, with Alfred still at home fuming over Bruce's determination to go after Richard, Bruce was at Watchtower, impatiently waiting for word on his ward's location and state of being. He knew that they would probably torture Dick to get him to reveal his identity. They would have obvious suspicion if they found his suit, but would need better proof in order to broadcast the truth.

Batman knew that was probably their endgame: get Richard to admit to his double-life, revealing Batman's identity in the process. Then who knows what they would do with Robin. Kill him? Sell him to the highest grudge-holding bidder? There was no way in hell they would release him, even if they were given what they wanted. Someone would have the satisfaction of killing or torturing Robin, even if it wasn't these particular thugs themselves. Capturing Batman would just be the icing on the cake.

Bruce knew going to rescue Robin was foolish, but he also knew that if he didn't, Dick would die.

**YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

About an hour after the angular-faced man entered the room Dick was being held in, he left.

He had a smirk on his face and blood on his hands. He had not broken the Grayson boy yet, but knew that with enough encouragement, he could make the boy admit anything.

He went to round up the other men so that he could film another video with Richard, one revealing a meeting place for Batman to show at if he wanted his bird back. The public couldn't know what they knew yet, however. The men needed to make Richard say, on camera, that he was indeed Robin. Otherwise no one would believe it and everyone would think Batman was just doing his good Samaritan thing in rescuing the boy.

And so Dick was left hanging on the wall, blood slowing dripping off of him, contributing to the puddle beneath his feet. He was tired. He was cold. He was afraid. Afraid that he would be broken. Afraid that he would give up his identity. Afraid he would let down Bruce.

He had a series of small gashes littering his forearms, facing away from the wall. Dick had been unable to move during the assault on his arms, so all of the cuts were very defined and very obvious for anyone watching the boy to see, which was the point, he supposed. Batman needed to be scared for his young apprentice. Scared enough for him to risk his own safety to rescue Robin.

The makeshift gag was still in Dick's mouth, starting to get very annoying. He supposed that it added to the image that the man was trying to create. It made Dick look weaker. And he felt weaker too. Almost two days of strain on his body and mind were taking their toll. His weakness made him unable to stand on his own, so strain was placed on his already-mangled forearms. His whole body was a picture of helplessness. He had, however, not been drugged this time, and could feel every cut even more sharply as time wore on. The numbness was almost completely gone by the time the man returned with his henchmen, setting up the tripod.

The lead man, leaned on the camera with a small smile and whispered two little words:

"Let's begin."


	4. Blinding

**Here's the next chapter- thanks for keeping up with the story if you are following it- enjoy-**

* * *

"Let's begin."

The camera resting delicately on the tripod came to life with a small click from one of the men.

Dick barely opened his eyes to look up, already knowing what was to come next. They still needed to give someone a meeting spot, and they needed Batman to see how weak his protégé had become.

No one had flat-out said yet that they knew Dick was Robin, but it was heavily implied, and Dick knew that the lead man wanted him to admit it before he said it himself. He needed to be absolutely sure he had proof before broadcasting the revelation to the world. Right now, however, the man's priority was making Dick look like he really needed rescuing so as to force the Batman to come.

Dick's blood has started coagulating around the new cuts littering his forearms, and the darker shade of the dried blood combined with the fresh, still-slick blood continuing to ooze was definitely not a site anyone watching the video could forget.

Oh yeah, the video. Dick just remembered that he was being filmed this instant, though he doubted the recording would be played live. That would be far too risky.

The man began speaking, using a very level tone that somehow freaked the Boy Wonder out more than the warm liquid flowing down his body. He tried to make a sound of defiance, but with the gag still in it turned into little more than a pathetic moaning noise.

The man took notice and stopped his monologue abruptly.

"Ah, I see our guest of honor has something to say to the camera… and Batman perhaps?" he said with a slightly joking knowing look at Robin.

Robin just glared in response knowing anything he tried to say would come out muffled and sound pathetic.

"Well," the man continued on unphased, "as I was saying before puny here interrupted me, I am only broadcasting this to Mr. Wayne himself, as I'm _positive _he has a way to contact Batman, am I right? Well it doesn't matter, I'm sure someone will care enough to come meet me and save this good little boy."

With that, the man turned around and dug his fingertips into a few of the wounds on Dick's arms, causing the young boy to moan out and squirm, desperately trying to get away from the sick man.

"I think you can see how much fun Dicky is having with me here, can't you? NO? Well then, let me emphasize how great our time together can get."

He withdrew a small lighter from his pocket, clicking it on in one smooth motion. He then turned to the squirming boy, who had quickly realized the sick man's intentions. Dick was bound too tightly, however, and with his arms still wrenched above his head, the man leaned down and placed the lighter near Dick's crotch. The boy was still wearing his uniform pants, but the flame was too close for comfort nonetheless.

As everyone in the room visibly flinched, the crazy man touched the flame to Dick's thigh, swiftly burning through the dark material on into his flesh.

Dick writhed horribly against the heat, smelling his own flesh burning almost immediately as he felt the heat.

He vaguely noticed one of the henchmen run from the room clutching his mouth from his peripheral vision. It must have been the smell, as Dick himself felt nauseated from his own scent.

The angular man, however, seemed to revel in seeing his victim burn. He now moved the lighter slowly down the boy's thigh, traveling slightly inwards too, adding another dimension of creepy to this new torture. Eventually he must have decided that it was enough of a show for the camera as he calmly clicked off the lighter.

He turned back around to face the tripod and his few remaining men. He flipped back a stray strand of hair from his face, still covered by a mask, and started giving instructions on where to meet, when to be there, and who NOT to bring.

All of this information, however, was not being processed by Dick, whose neural pathways were overloaded with sensory information. The damaged nerves sent a frenzy of impulses to his precentral gyrus, while all Dick's thought processes could register was pain. Hot, blinding pain calling out to him ceaselessly in the abyss that had become his mind.

* * *

Bruce was still hanging around Watchtower late in the afternoon the day after the first video of his frightened son was sent. He knew that he would receive the next video here when it came, and that Alfred would be watching at home if it was only sent there.

Sure enough, Bruce saw a link sent from Alfred's email pop up on one of the giant Watchtower monitors. He opened the link with an air of hesitation, as Dick's young teammates were all still in the meeting room, waiting themselves for more news on Robin.

Bruce's heart dropped a few inches in his chest when the new video began to play.

Silently, the team members and a few older mentors (there to support their young apprentices) that were in Watchtower began to gather around cowl-less Bruce.

The same angular man who was present in the first video popped up on the screen first. He seemed a little more disheveled than he had been when they had first seen him. He spoke clearly still, however, bragging how he and Dick got along sooo well, but Dick seemed to be holding something big back from him. He said he was

"…disappointed the little boy wouldn't share with me one of his secrets. He knows I know, but nothing I can do seems to make him budge! Good thing we have a lot of time left on our playdate."

This was when the camera cut to Dick.

He looked awful to his teammates who had never really been in any situations like this in their short sidekick career. They were not used to how torture looked. Or how it could hurt you just as much as an outsider as it could if you were the physical victim.

They were not used to how horrifying their youngest member looked with blood slowly dripping down his arms, pinned above his head mercilessly. They were not used to the defiance shown in his eyes and he tried to say something through the constraining gag. They certainly were used to, however, the Batglare Robin used on the asshole abductor.

Although it was scary seeing Richard like that, Bruce knew that he still had his spirit. He still managed to glare at his abductor through the pain and humiliation of his predicament. His glare was broken when fingers dug mercilessly into his wounds, making his teammates wince for him and start cussing mentally. Bruce had prepared himself and Dick for this though. Dick knew what torture would be like and how to mentally block some things from his young mind. Bruce was not prepared for what happened next, however.

As the man pulled out his small transparent lighter, everyone in Watchtower tensed, all knowing what was going to happen next. Dick tensed with them, and they saw a glimpse of that fear which was overly-apparent in the first video.

They steeled themselves for the impact of the flame, but nothing could have prepared them for the screams.

Although no words were coming out of Dick's mouth, his noises might as well have been giant, bold-print words, screaming at someone to save him.

"Help me!" they said in a language all too obvious.

"This is unbearable!" some more groans translated to.

"MAKE IT STOP" the final utterance proclaimed.

As soon as the man took the flame away from where it was inching closer and closer to Robin's crotch, they saw their youngest teammate hang limply from his bindings.

He was in his own world of hurt at the moment; that much was apparent from his lack of movement.

The angular man continued his monologue, spewing directions for a meeting that Batman soaked up and swiftly wrote down, desperately trying to distract himself from his son and protégé's pain.

No one saw the formation of saline in his left eye, desperately trying to escape, though the Dark Knight would never let it.

No one would know how disappointed the Knight was in himself. He did not protect his little bird. His son and light.

If Richard were gone, he had no idea what to do. He had to get Richard back, and that was the driving force that kept that tear in and his hand writing.

Bruce thought that the video was over, when the masked man pulled up something that he said he was glad he could show off because he knew only people in on the joke would be watching this video.

He held up that stained uniform Dick had put in his locker the week before.

The men held it up like a trophy, a prize purely for his own amusement.

He stayed smiling as he said "I was going to have little Ricky try it on for us because, you know, if the glass slipper fits, well, then I might not even need to continue playing with the little birdy here to have my proof."

"You could" the man continued on "come and meet me at that address I just mentioned and save your little boy here from some more humiliation. Though come to think of it, I am not sure if I want to give up the opportunity to examine those burns a little more… intimately."

Bruce opened his mouth as if to say something to the screen before he realized that it was not live and nothing he could say now would change its contents.

Then the masked man smiled and whispered "Yeah, I think you had better hurry over here before I get my energy back and have some more fun with the little bird over here."

Dick stayed motionless throughout this whole part of the monologue, so Bruce did not think he heard this man's plans. Bruce was grateful for this. Learning what was probably going to happen to him would not do much to increase Dick's moral.

When the video ended on a still of the man's still-smirking face, the entire meeting room stayed ominously quite for a few moments.

The first sound that broke the silence was a fractured sob erupting from Megann's throat.

Next was Conner's roar of rage and Kaldur's curse in his native tongue.

Wally just continued to stare at the now-dark screen. The ghost of his best friend's screams still ringing through his ears, haunting him. A silent tear strayed down his cheek.

Artemis held onto him, amazed to find that he was solid and that yes, was she just witnessed was real and not something straight from a bad horror flick.

The older mentors walked out of the room, not knowing what to say and figuring that the kids would be better at consoling each other than they would be. And besides, they had to formulate a plan to get Dick back with this new information. They would pour over the five or so minutes of video that had just been sent and try to withdraw something from it. They already knew that their quest for information would be just as fruitless as the masked man's quest for information from Robin.

Batman looked down at the ground, mimicking Alfred's pose thousands of miles away as he looked at the now-blank screen in Wayne Manor.

Batman now had coordinates to meet Robin's captors at, and he sure as hell was not going to miss the meeting. He began thinking of exactly what he was going to do to that psychopath once he got his hands on him, and for at least a moment his mind was off of the horrible torture he just saw his 13 year-old son go through.

The distraction did not last long. Soon the infuriated man had images of his battered boy flashing through his mind.

How brave he had been.

How abused he looked.

How weak he was made to seem.

How weak he was.

Everything compiled in the Dark Knight's mind until he had had enough and smashed his gloved fist into the keyboard of the main computer which had just been playing the now infamous video.

He was going to bring Dick back, nothing else in life mattered anymore.

* * *

**Well that's it guys! Hope you liked this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it and it seemed to flow better than previous chapters. Please please please review; feedback really helps and I like to hear how people perceive my story and if it translates from my head onto the page. SO please leave a comment and follow this if you are enjoying it so far. Thanks for reading everyone!**


	5. Awaken

**Thanks for sticking with the story so far everyone! I am going to try to take and use some of the feedback you have been giving me- hope you like it!**

**Warning: This chapter does feature some sexual creepiness, but nothing explicit, and this will probably be the extent of the sexualness used in the story.**

* * *

When Dick first woke up, he was painfully aware of the lack of sedation in his system.

He also noticed he was no longer bound to anything and could finally stretch out his tired limbs.

"Ouch."

Or not.

Either way, Dick felt a surge of empowerment knowing he could be his cocky, sarcastic self, even if it was slightly hampered by his injuries.

He hadn't heard much of what the crazy man said after he had been burned so mercilessly, but he had a sinking feeling this guy was not going to let Dick get away with not admitting to being Robin.

Dick honestly didn't know why he didn't just admit it, I mean they had his suit and everything. But he also knew in the back of his mind that confirming the thugs' suspicions would mean a quicker end for him.

The door creaked open and the creeper and his men stalked in, with something in their hands.

The lead man spoke as soon as he entered "Now, since we know BOTH of your names, I figured I might as well tell you mine. The name's Aiden."

Dick jus scoffed verbally and spat at 'Aiden' "That's nice, does it look like I give a shit? Yeah no, zero shits given dumbass."

Aiden crept forward as Dick moved to sit up. He grabbed the boy's shoulders and forced him down saying "I think it's time for us to bring our friend's real identity here into the light, don't you agree boys?"

The other thugs grunted and nodded in concurrence, there were only two of them in the room this time, probably because everyone knew Dick could not take them all on in such a small area.

Then Aiden yelled "Grab him!" as he unfolded the object in his hands. There was the uniform, still dirty from when it was shoved in the locker, but it was still obviously Robin's outfit.

The two thugs pinned Dick down to the floor, using their body weight to hold all four of his limbs down as Aiden kneeled down in front of Dick with the uniform and some scissors. He began cutting away Dick's school shirt first, causing the young boy to ramp up his squirming as he pieced together what was happening.

"Stop it you creep!" Screamed Dick, but to no avail. He kicked out, managing to get one of the thugs in the nose, causing him to bleed out. It didn't matter though. Aiden continued his assault with the scissors, finally revealing the young boy's smooth yet defined chest. The pieces of his shirt were discarded onto the floor around him as his pants were worked on next.

In next to no time they were off too, leaving the now-terrified boy in nothing but his plain grey boxers.

"Please." Dick begged in a voice seeming to not belong to him. He didn't care if he sounded pathetic, he didn't want this psychopath going any further than he had already, and who knows what the guy would do to a fully-naked vulnerable boy.

"Keep squirming Dicky, it only makes this much more fun for me."

"You sick fuck! Stop!" It was no use. Quickly, Dick was left completely nude and he stopped squirming. He knew he had been beat. The thugs holding him moved to gather up his remaining clothing fragments from the floor. Aiden threw the dirty Robin uniform at Dick and told him to put it on.

"It's all you have now, so you can take it or leave it.'' He said, knowing the exposed boy would choose any material over the penetrating air.

Dick didn't even look up from the ground where he was left as the henchmen and Aiden left him.

All that could be seen on the boy as he picked up his soiled uniform was a solitary tear of defeat, running down his face as the door closed.

* * *

Back at Watchtower, Batman was just finishing debriefing the entire Justice League on what had happened to Robin and the Young Justice team was getting impatient.

"We can't just do nothing!" Artemis shouted. "He is our friend and is in trouble! I can't believe no one is actively trying to get Robin back except for Batman."

"Robin is more experienced than even some of the adult members, they should be more worried about this" concurred Kaldur.

"I know Rob will be ok," said Wally, "but I can't help but think what could be going on with him right now."

"Those guys did look pretty serious." Said Conner grimly.

"I don't understand how we can take on so many bad guys with no problem, but when one of our own is in danger, there is nothing we can do to help him." Said Megan with an air of regret.

"No matter what happens to him, Dick will fight. Although I agree we need to try to help him, Dick always gets out of danger, and he will probably escape himself before we get a chance to try to save him." Wally thought aloud.

"But what that man did to him… it was so gruesome, and he enjoyed it! I don't like the idea of a guy like that having his hands on Robin any longer that absolutely necessary…" Artemis said.

"I agree." Said Batman, surprising everyone. "Although Richard is brave, this guy is psychopath, and we can't let him stay with Robin any longer."

Batman closed the door to the conference room behind him and he finished walking through it and into the hallway where the team had gathered.

"We just finished discussing what was going to be done about Robin. I am going to meet this guy where he provided details to in his last video."

Everyone flinched at the mention of the last video. The torture of their young friend was still vivid in their minds.

"Superman and Miss M will fly above stealthily just in case they need to intervene. If they do not need to, and everything is as that man promised, I will proceed alone to where Robin is being held. We have to give into this guy's demands or Robin and I's identities could be compromised, in turn putting half of the League in danger as well."

It was obvious neither Batman or anyone else liked this plan, but it was the only one possible to get Robin back alive.

Batman left to go brood, or whatever it is he does when he is upset, and the YJ team snuck off into a more secluded area together.

"There is NO way we are letting Batman go alone to get Robin." Wally said.

"I agree" said the girls and Conner together.

"We need to think about this guys," said Kaldur, trying to maintain his authority over the other teens. "What if we put Robin in more danger by going against the League's permission? We could be a negative distraction and make the situation even worse."

"We are not going to make it worse! Dick is my best friend and I can't leave him getting back safely up to chance! Besides, he'll probably be making his way out by the time we get there, at least we could give the guy a lift home, right?"

"I think Robin finding a way to get himself out is pretty unlikely" started Megan "but the more of us there to rescue him, the better."

"Fine. I see the points you guys bring up, hopefully Robin can figure a way out himself, but I no longer see the harm in following Batman to where he is being held just in case." Caved Kaldur.

The rest of the team smiled, they were going to see Robin again, and this psychopath would never get a chance to reveal Richard's identity while they had a say in it.

Back in Richard's prison, he sat with his back against the wall, having just finished putting on his uniform.

He knew how obvious it was now that Richard and Robin were indeed the same boy.

The suit fit him like a glove, just like Aiden thought it would.

His only hope now would be to escape before Aiden had time to document his concrete proof and reveal it to the masses. At least now he could be himself. He could put up more of a fight.

He felt like himself again in the uniform, even though it was meant to be humiliating. He could be strong now. He would not succumb to anymore petty tortures or scare tactics. He was not Richard Wayne or even Dick Grayson now. He was Robin.

Richard had to get rescued.

Dick had to escape.

Robin knew he could fly.

* * *

**So there it is! I promise some more resistance from Robin in future chapters, but I had to include some whump before. Please review and tell me what you liked/didn't like, it helps a lot! Thanks everyone**


	6. Reliance

**Thanks to everyone who is following the story and reviewing- it gives me motivation to type faster and make the story as good as possible for you guys. So here is the next chapter in Dick's abduction and resistance-**

* * *

In an abandoned parking structure on the far side of Gotham, Batman stood, seemingly alone. In reality, Superman and Martian Manhunter were flying above, camouflaged so no one would be able to tell from a distance. They had decided to get Manhunter to come instead of his niece because he was more experienced, and this would be a very important mission.

Batman stood still, following the instructions he was given to a T. Now was not the time to make Dick's kidnappers panicky. If they definitely knew his identity, they would know to keep a careful eye on the Dark Knight.

It didn't take a genius to know that he would be very protective of his protégé, and more importantly, vengeful on those who hurt his little bird.

So, Batman stood still. Eyes peeled on the entrance to the roof of the structure, flipping a switch on his communicator when he saw some lights flashing.

"We have some activity down here, looks like someone heading up the ramp." He said, while keeping his glare on the ramp.

No one knew what to expect, because Aiden was incredibly cryptic in his last video. All he had detailed was where and when to meet and to NOT bring anyone else.

Batman narrowed his eyes when the van came into view. He knew it was a perfect vehicle for kidnappers…. These men had probably taken other kids in that car. That's probably where they put Dick after they knocked him unconscious…

No. It was time for action, not the past.

The van slowly pulled to a slop about ten feet away from Batman. It looked like only two people were in the front, but it was impossible to see if anyone else was in the rear where there were no large windows.

Batman really wanted to just burst into the car and pummel both of the men, but he knew either of them could be in contact with someone near Dick. Any wrong move Bruce made could potentially end his son's already limited chance for survival. He couldn't let Dick down.

Batman returned to the stony demeanor he held before he let Bruce briefly take over and worry about Dick. Then, as suddenly as the engine was turned off, the front doors slid open on either side and the men hopped out to face their captive audience.

* * *

Back at the mountain, the Young Justice team were gathered around Kaldur, planning how to get to Robin's whereabouts without the older members catching wind of their plan to help.

If the meeting at the parking structure went according to plan, Robin's location would be revealed as soon when Batman went there with the men.

As soon as Batman left the parking structure, the founders would all get updates on Batman's location. Well, the founders and the Young Justice team, not that any adults needed to know that.

"What if they don't take Batman to Robin?" Artemis worried aloud, not trusting these thugs' morals.

Kaldur tried to reassure her, saying "I believe it is also in the kidnappers' best interest to be true to their word for a while, at least until they can be sure that Batman is truly alone and most vulnerable."

This made Wally more confident in the mission's success, saying "I know it seems weird to think that these people would just lead us to Dick, but they won't even know that Batman is being traced by the other Leaguers: they just want Dick and his dad together to share their identities and make each other talk." Wally shivered as he finished sharing his thought, but he knew that it was the truth.

Conner maintained his usual stony silence, speaking only to Megan in hushed whispers. He was too fed-up and angry about the position his youngest teammate was in to speak clearly. His emotionally-muddled thoughts were understood by Megan however, and she seemed to be the only thing stopping him from running down to the meeting right this instant and confronting Robin's abductors.

The whole team seemed to know agree on sticking to their original plan, and were extremely grateful that Wally had picked up some of Robin's hacking skills with all of the time they spent together. Wally had managed to connect the feed from Megan's Uncle Jonn's phone to his, therefore being able to send any data he received through the older Leaguer's phone directly to his other young teammates.

They would be up to speed on any new information almost as soon as any of the people supposed to be in the loop were. It was painfully ironic to everyone how important Robin's role was in the team, even with him gone and this mission being his rescue.

Armed with this reassurance that their plan was indeed a-go, Kaldur declared "Suit up guys, we have to be ready as soon as the meeting begins".

And with that the kids ran off to get changed, knowing that the first confrontation between an angry Bats and his bird's abductors would be beginning any moment now.

* * *

Out of the vehicle came a man in a ski mask that had not been seen on either of the videos sent so far, at least according to Batman's memory, which was never wrong. The other was most definitely the man who had touched his son. The man who had burnt his flesh so unforgivingly. The man who had tortured a little boy for information over a hunch. Which happened to be right, but Batman didn't consider that to be an end which justified such cruel means.

This now unmasked man strolled up to Batman, humming quietly to himself as he did so. He reached into his back pocket for something as Batman put up his arms in front of him as defense of the weapon he was reaching for.

It was not necessary, however, when the man pulled out a cell phone.

"I've got to say, the Dark Knight is not as terrifying in person as all of the rumors make him out to be. I daresay I can strike more fear in someone's heart than you can. And I believe I already have, actually. Your son isn't looking too good these days lately, Mr. Wayne."

Batman did not so much as blink at Aiden's statements, and decided that the best thing for him to do was stay silent.

"I know you have already pieced it together by now, but I just wanted to remind you of the gravity of the situation you have landed yourself in, Wayne. I hold all of the cards here, and you cannot be allowed to forget that." And with that, Aiden clicked open the phone and pulled up a saved photo. He held it up for Batman to see.

Batman spared a glance at the phone long enough to meet the eyes of his young ward before turning away. It wasn't fast enough, however. The wounds littering the boy's body could now never be forgotten. In those few milliseconds it takes to consciously blink, the megapixels on the screen of the phone were permanently engrained into the Dark Knight's mind.

He could now never erase the scared boy's gaze as he looked up from his concrete prison into the blindingly bright flash of the camera phone. The bruises under his eyes and marking up his cheeks were highlighted in contrast with the dark environment surrounding him and his angular facial features. The boy looked terrified and small. The worst part was what he was wearing: Robin's uniform, with the R torn and blood now mixing in with the old caked mud from when it had been stuffed in a locker.

The father inside Batman screamed as he imagined what Dick went through, being forced to put on that dirty uniform, to be documented in his humiliation.

The warrior inside Batman knew that the look on his protégé's face had just been a façade: that he was really okay inside and prepping up to fight. Batman just knew. Of course, worried parents of missing children always knew that their kids would come back alright. They always knew.

Aiden put his phone back in his pocket and said "Come with us, Mr. Wayne. We will take you to Richard; you can see your son again."

Batman hesitated, remained silent, and followed the men back into the van. He got into the back along with the other man who had not spoken at all during this whole exchange.

As soon as he stepped inside, his trained eyes spotted a small patch of dried blood in one corner, along with Richard's tie. It took an enormous amount of will power for Batman to stay silent and not confirm the men's suspicions of the man under the mask definitely being Bruce Wayne. They may know about Dick's double identity, but he wasn't going to give his away too, there was a chance Batman did not have to be his protégé's father.

Aiden peeked his head into the back of the car from where he was seated in the front. With a smirk, he started the vehicle, saying "Let's go say hi to Richard, shall we?"

Batman nodded. He couldn't let Dick down.

* * *

Back at the mountain, the team all simultaneously received notification about the change in Batman's location. He was on the move, and the team loaded into the bioship to follow.

They were going to be right behind Batman, and they weren't going to let their little brother down.

* * *

In his cell, still free of all bindings and still clothed in his Robin uniform, Dick began to formulate his plan to escape. He already knew that Aiden and another thug were gone, presumably to meet up with Batman.

"Good luck with that one..." Dick thought, knowing his dad could kick these guys' butts any day of the week. But he would have to be careful, because of Dick.

Robin hated being a hindrance to his dad. He could usually hold his own against even the toughest baddies, but he still plainly remembers every instance where he needed Dad to intervene. It made him feel weak, and he couldn't allow himself to be the damsel in distress again this time too. He knew Batman coming here could get him out quickly, or he could be a distraction and Batman could get hurt. He wouldn't let himself be a distraction again, and he knew he needed to escape before Batman even got here to ensure his safety.

So, Robin stood up, limping on his left leg which had a bruised bone thanks to a rather powerful kick Aiden had delivered in order to keep the boy down earlier. Robin stood through the pain, knowing he couldn't succumb to such petty flesh wounds if he wanted to get out of such a confined space. The next time the door was opened so much as a crack, Robin would pounce.

And then Robin crouched near the door, behind it so that anyone entering would not be immediately aware of his location. And he waited. He would have one chance to get through the door, one chance to prove himself. He couldn't fail. He couldn't let Bruce down.

* * *

**And there it is! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter- please send some feedback, it really helps! Thanks**


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